Acemax M12N Modded ROM

[bluesmanuk]

27/08/2016 - V2 firmware now available. See post 2 for more details and download link.
29/08/2016 - V3 firmware now available. See post 2 for more details and download link.

Following tests on the 2 original manufacturers firmware’s, in order to satisfy what I believe will have been many a user’s requirement in terms of interface alone, I have created my first ever Modded ROM.

Two of the rather vital (in my opinion) things that were missing in the original firmware’s were the Navigation bar and the Notification Bar and there was a major issue with regards to some apps that would rotate 90 degrees and make them very difficult to use.

I’m not calling it a Custom ROM as these are the Domain of the far more talented real developers.

I have simply used a tool to allow the appropriate customisation to take place.

Thanks to some useful advice from prahjister and the fact that I have purloined his extremely vital app to cure audio clipping when playing AC3 and DTS, which are present in the S912 as was the case with the S905x.

Whilst I believe this firmware to be an improvement over the original, there are still going to be some issues that will require resolutions from the manufacturers, such as Adjust Display Refresh rate adjustment (called HDMI self-adaptation in the firmware), which does not work in the bundled Kodi or SPMC either.

You will require the following in order to flash the firmware to your box:

1. The Acemax M12N
2. The Acemax M12N ac adapter (plugged in to your wall socket of course)
3. A Male A to Male A USB cable, an example of which (very cheap) is here https://tinyurl.com/za6fwk6

Note that there is no option for flashing via the SD card or other external storage at this time.

1. A small screwdriver, long toothpick or similar to push into the back of the av port on the box to access the reset switch
2. The USB Burning tool that you will need to install, available here https://mega.nz/#!7tZjlLwS
3. The Modded firmware V3 (ACEMAX_M12N_MOD2_27082016.IMG) available here https://mega.nz/#!LtRVQRAJ!X07GoMMk-XJg6QG98p4ARR4xDZ_7NLRIKjb9xjaOdrU
4. A PC running Windows (preferably 7, 8, 8.1 or 10)
5. A little dexterity
6. Patience

I would advise at this point that should you have any devices installed on/in the box (Micro SD card, flash drive etc) that you remove them.

Not that anything is likely to affect external storage devices but as I have never flashed the firmware myself with any attached/inserted, best to take the belt and braces approach.

As is usual with all Modded/Custom firmware, USE ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK although I think that it is fair to say that it is extremely difficult to hard brick boxes these days.

So the procedure (once you have all elements downloaded and unzipped) is as follows:

• Install the USB burning tool and allow the associated driver to be installed (you may wish to reboot afterwards although I have not found it necessary).
• Fire up the burning tool, where you will initially find the interface in Chinese. Simply select the second menu item and select English from the resulting drop down menu.
• Select file, Import Image. Locate the firmware in the located that you downloaded it to and wait for the burning tool to check the validity of the image.
• There are two potential options that you may wish to consider at this point. If your box is connected to your TV/monitor and you want to flash the firmware and have the box automatically reset and start the process of loading up, then tick the reset after success box. If not then leave the defaults as they are.
• Click the start button. This will prepare the burning tool to flash as soon as the right connection is made between PC and box.
• Insert your USB cable into a port on your PC.
• If plugged in to the box, remove the ac adapter from it.
• Using your screwdriver. Toothpick, insert it into the av port located on the back of the box until you hear and feel the reset button being pressed in. KEEP IT PRESSED IN.
• Insert the other end of the USB cable into the USB port nearest to the AC port.
• Plug in the AC to the box and wait about 5 seconds before releasing the reset button.
• The burning tool interface will show a blue progress bar as the firmware is being flashed to the box.
• Once the firmware is flashed, if you have selected the option to reset after success then the box will reboot and start the process of loading. It will take 5 or 5 minutes before you see the main interface.
• If you have selected the defaults then unplug the USB cable, AC lead and plug the AC lead back in at your leisure to load the new firmware.
• You can then close the burning tool.
• If you see no progress bar then it is likely that you will have inadvertently released the reset switch whilst trying to plug in the other 2 cables (as I have done on a few occasions), so start the physical side of the process again.

Once the initial interface loads you will be presented with a wizard to choose a few basic settings, one of which is network connectivity and if you are going to connect via wireless then you will not be allowed to complete the wizard until you have made appropriate connect to your router.

Once you have completed the wizard, you will be presented with the default launcher but if you swipe upwards from the bottom of the screen then you will see that you have access to the navigation bar and the notification area will present itself across the top of the screen.

At this point though please wait another 5 minutes as in the background there will be a number of apps populating themselves.
Then there is a CRITICAL procedure that you have to perform before you start configuring your Android experience.

Update: 27/08/16 - After a spot by trebor, applied an automation fix for the rotation issue that means that this step is no longer necessary. See post 2 for quick link to V2/V3 firmware..

As I mentioned at the beginning, there are issues with some apps automatically rotating and this will cause the UI to crash until you ensure that they cannot auto rotate.

So click on the MyApp button, and navigate your way through the list of apps to settings (between Reboot and Speedtest).

Select it and then, on the first row of icons, select Display (you have to click on these icons twice) and then Screen Rotation.

The default set will be original, so select force land

When you select it, it will appear not to be chosen, with the little white dot not moving to that position. Go back one screen and then go back into it and you will see that it is selected.
You will now have no issues with the UI crashing from auto rotation (that is not to say that it might do so as you test other functionality)



Apps:

Some are there by default from the original firmware and some I have chosen because I believe they may have beneficial use but you can of course uninstall at leisure. I will talk about the ones that I have chosen and why.

• SuperSU. The firmware is pre-rooted (courtesy of Acemax, who’s second gen of firmware came like this) and requires no granting of privileges but I know that some users prefer to use SuperSU, so it is there should you wish to use it. Just run and follow the instructions via the normal route and after a reboot it will be active and request approval whenever an app needs root access.
• Nova launcher. Some, like myself prefer the good old plain style of launcher, rather than the fancy GUI, so why not have a choice of both to suit each taste? Nova is the most popular launcher out there, so was an obvious choice. You of course can choose from many more.
• No wallpaper. More of a self-indulgence as whenever I see a colourful background, I just want the nice plain and easy to see black.
• Speedtest. Idea taken from the S905x Frankenstein ROM and I thought it useful to have, especially when first testing and evaluating.
• SPMC. The Kodi fork what has had some AMLogic love thrown at it, so will be useful as an alternative to Kodi if results are not desired 9not to say that they will be here either).
• Terminal Emulator. Another from the Frankenstein ROM idea. Always useful to have for error diagnosis and fixes (use with caution and advice though if you are new to commend line style usage).
• Reboot. The best all round reboot program there is, courtesy of a fellow Freaktab Member, Petrus, so there was never going to be any other choice. Rebooting is not an option within the firmware itself, so very useful to have. Also allows booting to recovery.
• Universal Init.d - Another from the Frankenstein ROM idea. That may have benefits along the way for resolving issues and bugs that can be applied through scripts.
• Airdroid – There is no file transfer via USB cable with this box (at present at least), so you can use this to connect via WiFi to perform file transfers, along with other useful functions and is my favourite of this type of app.
• All In One Toolbox. A general junk clean-up and optimisation app. Always use to have one of these.
• ES File Explorer. Far more useful and versatile than the stock file browser and probably the most popular file manager out there.
• App Backup and restore. A very viable (and free) alternative to the paid for Titanium Backup. Easy to use and a fair degree of functionality IMO.
• Youtube TWICE? Yes, there is the standard version that we all know and love and the TV style version. 2 tubes are always better than one.
• WiFi ADB. As well as there being no file transfer via USB cable, there is also no ADB over cable either (or at least that is what I have found), so you can access this functionality over WiFi if and when required.
• MX Player - One of the best video players on the market should you require and alternative to Kodi/SPMC/Stock player.
• Passthrough Fix. As mentioned earlier, this is an app produced by prahjister to resolve clipping audio when playing AC3 and DTS streams when using passthrough but in order to utilise it correctly, you need to give the app storage permissions and a high level of priority. So the way I have configured it, is to first choose Nova Launcher (as least as a temporary measure), bring it on to the home screen, hold down on the icon and choose and select app info from the pop-up menu. Then select App Info as the choice (just once is fine). Then, from the next screen, select Permissions and use the slider to turn the permissions’ on. Go back a screen and select Notifications and slide on Treat as priority. Go back to the home screen and run the app, selecting reboot (you know what will happen next). This will allow the app to auto start and after a few seconds should play a sound (if you have activated HDMI passthrough in settings I believe) to indicate that it is active and running in the background. I have not tested this fully myself in this ROM but have found in earlier testing that it did work. When you test Kodi.

Kodi – A quick note to say that when you load Kodi for the first time, you are presented with an option to install a number of addons (with appropriate warnings about the potential legality of using them in your respective countries). It is nice to see a user being given the choice, so that is a nice option presented by Acemax without having to have some fully loaded setup presented without choice.


Feedback:

Will there be bugs and glitches?

Of course there will be.

Will it crash more often than a Nicholas Cage movie?

You can bet on it.

Will I fix them? Highly unlikely unless I become aware of a solution that I can easily implement in the firmware.

Have I tested all features and know all bugs?

Of course not. Why would I possibly spoil all your fun and frustration? J

Feedback will primarily be useful to Acemax in order to know what does and does not function and what features could and should be implemented.

So don’t blame me if it doesn’t work as expected, your wife divorces you because you spend too much time with these things or the dog dies because you are so wrapped up that you forgot to feed it.

This is of course modded firmware and you can, should you wish, use the official Acemax firmwares located at https://mega.nz/#!59lF3CRJ!mLXmxLNwM..._zbE6_EQsTBgpQ (First Gen, no root) and https://mega.nz/#!xwVlUQCQ!str9Nd48_Tb3h-_yOxMuQasowKj8JO-jlF1XyTq4PeQ (Second Gen, rooted).

If you do choose to use the stock firmware, then please leave all comments and feedback on the official thread for this located at http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/amlogic-based-tv-players/s912/589215-acemax-m12n-smart-tv-box-amlogic-s912-octa-core


And finally.

I have enjoyed the fun had with the customisation tool used to produce this, along with loss of sleep, hair and sanity.

I am not prissy in any way about this being MY baby, so feel free to improve upon it yourself if you wish.

Just leave appropriate recompense through the usual (sniff) channels or I’ll send the boys round!

I’m off to finish my own video review using this very firmware and footage will be available in any Youtube Multiplex soon (book tickets early to guarantee disappointment) and Mr. Demille, I’m ready for my close-up now.

Enjoy


Gearbest.

[bluesmanuk]

Quick links for those in a hurry or falling asleep.


USB Burning Tool - https://mega.nz/#!7tZjlLwS!4TmyL3h0C...kdnZnWftxnUiSY
Customisation Tool should you wish to have a go at making your own firmware - https://mega.nz/#!78o1iT4T!2R8Ynyl9VX3NGug4vOe5iui__347fQ4b1VfdBhA psmY

Firmware V1 - https://mega.nz/#!ixxyCCBR!8IRo_t1PS...4gIvmUTr8S1vjA
Firmware V2 - https://mega.nz/#!KoxHjJLb!iGzDegMuz...-NxIrsQIE9W9Us
Firmware V3 - https://mega.nz/#!LtRVQRAJ!X07GoMMk-XJg6QG98p4ARR4xDZ_7NLRIKjb9xjaOdrU

Changelog for V2:

Updated external storage permissions
Fixed auto rotation issue, so no manual procedure required to resolve.
Updated some apps to latest versions.
Added MX Player and Neon Codec


Changelog for V3:

Updated some apps to latest versions.
Updated keyboard such that the enter key works corectly.
Minor background changes.
Update option (something I copied the idea from prahjister in his S905x Frankenstein firmware)


What does the update option do?

It allows for the facility of applying small updates without having to flash firmware again. This is not an OTA style update that you would find from the manufacturers but a basic facility that may assist in the addition of options and fixing minor bugs.


How do I use/run the update?

I'm not a developer, so writing an app to do this is beyond my capabilities at present, so you have to use the Terminal Emulator app (pre-installed) and run a couple of commands.


What specifically will it do right now?

Well as of V3 of the firmware it will do 3 things.

1. Add a playercorefactory.xml file to Kodi such that you can play video files though a range of external players such as MX player, which may be more convenient should you find that some files play better in an external player but being able to do so from within the Kodi interface.
2. Add a playercorefactory.xml file to SPMC such that you can play video files though a range of external players such as MX player, which may be more convenient should you find that some files play better in an external player but being able to do so from within the SPMC interface.
3. Add the custom AC3 codec that will allow MX Player (V1.8.6+) to handle Dolby and DTS audio.

Are there any prerequisites?

Yes. First you have to run Kodi and SPMC once in order for the correct folder structure to be built so that the file(s) can be placed in the correct location.

There are no prerequisites for MX Player as the codec file will be placed in the sdcard download folder and once MX Player is run it will automatically detect it and prompt you to apply (if desired).


Precisely what do I have to do get them?

Run the Terminal app.
Type su and press enter
Type update and press enter
You will then see the progress on screen and a confirmation message when done (report any errors should any of the operations fail).
Close Terminal (X at top right of screen)
Reboot and test.

[bigall123]

Thanks so much for you hard work/ I have 1 coming soon from gearbest, Il try t out then. Saying that like, by the time i get it, there will hopefully be some more roms out then. Keep up the hard work bud. Thanks.

[bluesmanuk]

Thanks so much for you hard work/ I have 1 coming soon from gearbest, Il try t out then. Saying that like, by the time i get it, there will hopefully be some more roms out then. Keep up the hard work bud. Thanks.

Cheers

[trebor]

Yep in easy setup easy, clean
Hello Taskbar...Nice

Here is one you can have a look at, other 912 box it runs fine
This one runs sideways, but not a big deal not as tho its an app you need to run daily.

[bluesmanuk]

Yep in easy setup easy, clean
Hello Taskbar...Nice

Here is one you can have a look at, other 912 box it runs fine
This one runs sideways, but not a big deal not as tho its an app you need to run daily.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]n593011[/ATTACH]

I knew you would find something :-)

Just running it now to see what happens.

I'm glad that the write to external media is working as it was a bugger to get the xml file just right with it's formatting.

[bluesmanuk]

Just finished the PCMARK work performance with a score of 3029 and no UI crash.

[trebor]

Are you running usb Keyboard ?
Any app that runs sideways I see the ui crash.

[bluesmanuk]

Antutu very low at 24625 for a first run saying 3D not supported , although you know what I think about benchmark scores.

Second run sees it running the 3D test although there are some audio issues whilst it is running.

Second run score of 37603.

[bluesmanuk]

Are you running usb Keyboard ?
Any app that runs sideways I see the ui crash.

I'm using a wireless one that has a USB dongle in the USB port.

Could be your Yoka 912 having a dose of the runs :-)

[bluesmanuk]

Started off an Antutu video test where the download time for the test video usually means that you can take a 2 week holiday whilst waiting for it but it's coming down surprisingly quickly in comparison.

27 out of 30, which is a little surprising as I remember many an S812 test getting maximum results.

MP4 AAC AVC Not smooth
MP4 AAC MPEG-4 not smooth
WEBM vorbis VP8 not smooth

[bluesmanuk]

ES File explorer successfully scanned all my network resources.

Testing some video streams using MX player.

SD streaming smooth and video smooth.

HDR video looking spectacular with regards to colour, even though my 4K Tv doesn't support HDR but best I've seen for colour and equals the Tronsmart Orion. Some buffering but to be expected on this early model with just 100Mb ethernet (maybe Acemax might send me a newer gigabit model when it's ready hint hint lol).

5.1 sound perfect with no clipping.

A fair amount of buffering with very high bitrate files such as the Jellyfish demos.

AAC 5.1 very low down in the mix. Have to turn volume up a lot to really hear it.

4K 8 bit good.

10 bit good.


However the one caveat I have, which i wrote about when testing the stock ROM is that most things 1080p and above have this tiny lag, or what I call a shimmer which is still noticeable.

How much of this is due to auto frame rate switching and how much due to needing some GPU tweaks I don't know but even when I play things that do automatically match the refresh rate of my TV, it's still there.

One step away from near perfection.

But I'll say it again,colour reproduction and depth is awesome and only my Orion Meta with it's Mali T-760 has seen the same sumptuous colour.

Gigabit ethernet for streaming is going to be a must.

[bluesmanuk]

So after an hour of continual use with varied apps, not a single crash.

Just twice, when using Nova launcher and browsing through the app draw did it skip back to home screen for no apparent reason.

Web browsing perfectly acceptable with text very clear, even on a 4K set watching from distance.

Ran the speedtest app and it gave me the maximum for my broadband download speed and 80% of the maximum upload.

Youtube(s) good but again, the same general issue with 1080p+ playback.

Early days of course and tip of the iceberg so far but I'm rather pleased with my efforts, so far.

A few things to fix of course but I'm not grumbling under my breath as I tend to do with most Android boxes, whilst I hug my ever steady Windows equivalents.

I'll give it a B for now.

Acemax please resolve the auto frame rate switching so I can see how much of an effect it is having on the tiny lag/shimmer.

[trebor]

Have reflashed to ensure it was Clean and erased all,
System UI crash and soon as any app decides to run sideways (fails rotate to normal) Weird

Went back to previous rom (non modded) apps that run sideway no UI fail, so maybe a tweak or a twerk missed the rom

[prahjister]

Nice can't wait to get my s912